SpaceX’s Starship achieved its first Earth-orbit flight on Sep. 28, deploying 26 new-generation Starlink V3 satellites, but the test ended earlier than planned. Launch occurred at about 07:50 Central US time (20:50 Beijing). The Super Heavy booster made a controlled splashdown in waters near the Gulf of Mexico; the Starship second stage reached orbit, released the 26 Starlink V3 satellites, then the mission terminated after roughly three hours with a splashdown in the Pacific. The flight had bee

SpaceX’s Starship achieved its first Earth-orbit flight on Sep. 28, deploying 26 new-generation Starlink V3 satellites, but the test ended earlier than planned. Launch occurred at about 07:50 Central US time (20:50 Beijing). The Super Heavy booster made a controlled splashdown in waters near the Gulf of Mexico; the Starship second stage reached orbit, released the 26 Starlink V3 satellites, then the mission terminated after roughly three hours with a splashdown in the Pacific. The flight had been scheduled to last about 10 hours. SpaceX has not disclosed a cause for the early termination. Prior to this, Starship’s 13 test flights had been suborbital; this was the first orbital flight and is seen as a step toward full, rapid reusability.